


A Short Mess

by elliott (amywaited)



Category: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - Rick Riordan
Genre: Cat, Cute, Dog - Freeform, F/M, Fluff, Homeless Shelter, LGBT, M/M, Pet, Pet Adoption, Rick Riordan - Freeform, The Chase Space
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-14
Updated: 2017-11-14
Packaged: 2019-02-02 03:06:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12718368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amywaited/pseuds/elliott
Summary: okay; basically:magnus and alex go to buy a cat and a dog (but they can’t agree on which one)





	A Short Mess

**Author's Note:**

> hoping u enjoy this mess! ik its fast paced but whatever. its cute. i like it.

"Wait- No!" Magnus half-shouts, quickly. "Alex, wait! Come back!"

Alex doesn't even bother to turn around. "What."

"I didn't mean it," Magnus says desperately. "Look, really."

"You can't just take something like that back, Chase."

"I know! I'm sorry, and I think that dogs are just as good as cats."

Alex scoffs. "Just as good?" She turns around and Magnus almost has to shield his eyes from how bright her diamond patterned, pink and green sweater vest is. 

"Better! They're better then cats," Magnus amends quickly.

"So we can get one?" Alex's face lights up with a grin. "Of course we can."

"Of course we can," Magnus agrees reluctantly.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Alex squeals, bounding over and pecking Magnus on the cheek. "I've already checked, none of the kids are allergic to dogs-"

"What about-"

"Cats? Not cats either," Alex says. "Not that we're going to get one."

"Hey, we'll go to see them both before deciding, deal?" Magnus compromises. 

"Deal," Alex replies. "But once you see those puppies-!" She squeals again. 

Magnus can't help but smile as she jumps about in excitement. "So we can go tomorrow, right?" Alex asks, leaning in close to Magnus. So close that Magnus worries she can feel how much he's blushing. 

"Sure, we can."

"Yay!"

"Come on," Magnus grins. "Lets check everyones asleep and then go to bed."

"I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight," Alex says seriously. 

Magnus smiles. He's smiling a lot recently. "You can dream of our new cat."

"Dog!"

"Cat."

"Dog!" Alex protests. 

"Cat."

"Dog!"

One of the kids knocks on their door. "Can you guys quit arguing? Some of us are trying to sleep."

"Sorry, Kai!" Alex calls. "Sleep well."

They both listen as footsteps patter away. 

"So," Magnus says. "Who's Kai?"

Alex pretends to slap him. 

—————

Alex wakes up far too early the next morning. 4:37am precisely. And when he wakes up, he sits up so suddenly that he wakes Magnus up too. From across the room. (Because they still weren't on bed sharing level yet, so Alex opted to make Magnus sleep on the pullout futon sofa on the other side of the room.)

"Ugh, Alex," Magnus groans. "What time is it?"

"I dunno. Sorry," Alex says, his voice thick with sleep. "Go back to sleep."

"Goodni- Morning."

Magnus flops back down dramatically and starts sleep breathing almost instantly. Alex smiles over at him happily. 

He falls back to sleep easily then. 

—————

And when he wakes back up, its a much more normal time. 8:09am. Magnus was asleep still, so Alex threw a pillow at him. 

"What was that for?! Its still early."

"Good morning! Its dog shopping day!" Alex announces. 

"Cat shopping day," Magnus corrects sitting up. His hair is in a big mess, all stuck up in a halo around his head. Alex doesn't tell him. 

Of course, Alex's hair is perfect. Magnus doesn't know how he does it. 

"Dog."

"Both shopping day," Magnus amends. 

"Sure."

They go down to breakfast together. Even though there wasn't any breakfast since they were the ones who had to cook it. 

"What do you want for breakfast?" Alex asks the few kids who are awake already. 

They both shrug. "Whatever," one of them mumbles in a sleepy voice. 

Alex shrugs too. "Alright."

Magnus sits next to the two and just watches Alex. In silence. 

"Chase?" Alex asks. 

"Hm? Oh- what?"

"What do you want?"

"Anything," Magnus says. 

Alex exhales sharply. "Can you get everyone else down here?"

Magnus nods. "Okay."

He starts knocking on some of the doors, calling into them that "Alex's making breakfast and he's a great cook so you might want to get up if you're hungry, also we have big news so."

There ended up being about 7 kids, tweens and teens sitting at the table. They were all in silence, but some were sitting closer together then others. 

Alex had already laid the table and was cooking scrambled eggs. 

"Morning everyone," Magnus said, making a cup of coffee and not noticing when Alex switched it for tea. Some of the kids laughed when they realised and Alex putting a finger to his lips. 

Magnus sat down with his tea. "How did everyone sleep?"

Vague mumbles scatter around the table. 

"Great. So today, me and him," Magnus gestures to Alex, "are going to an adoption centre."

"An animal adoption centre," Alex clarifies, pulling his fingers through Magnus's still sleep-induced hair. 

"Are we getting a dog?" Someone asked. 

"Yes," Alex says. 

"No," Magnus says at the same time and then they both glare at each other. 

"Yes, we are," Alex says firmly. 

"Yes, we are," Magnus agrees. 

"Awesome!" Someone who looks far to young to be there exclaims. "What breed?"

"All of them," Alex says. 

"One of them," Magnus tells him. 

"Two?" Alex asks hopefully. 

"Maybe." Magnus takes a sip of his drink. 

Some people laugh. 

"What did you do with my coffee?"

"Gave you tea," Alex tells him, patting Magnus's cheek. He gets up to check on the bacon he had started frying. 

Magnus sighs and continues drinking it. 

"Magnus?" One of the kids asks hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

"Why are you calling Alex boy pronouns today?"

"Because-" Magnus starts. 

"I'm gender fluid," Alex interrupts. "Which means my gender changes. For example, yesterday I used she and her pronouns because I was a girl. Today I'm using he and him pronouns because I'm a boy."

"Oh," the kid says. "How do we know which ones you're using?"

"Magnus normally can tell," Alex says. "Ask him."

Magnus smiles. "Breakfast?"

"Breakfast," Alex says. 

—————

They're at the adoption centre, filling out the required forms.

Well, Magnus is filling out the required forms. Alex is browsing the various collars and leashes the shelter has for the dogs, and the cats, Magnus points out. 

"All done?" The middle aged women at the desk asks, only a little bit impatiently. 

"Nearly," Magnus says. "Maybe if somebody over there had helped me, it would have been quicker," He says loudly in Alex's direction. 

"Shush, Magnus. I've found a leash I think would look great on our dog," He replies back. 

"You haven't even seen them yet. And we haven't even agreed to a dog!" Magnus protests, signing his name one last time and slamming the pen down. "Whatever, lets go."

"Dogs?!" Alex is at the doors before Magnus can even blink. 

"Dogs."

The desk woman pushes open the door, smiling at Alex's enthusiasm. "You might want to be a little quieter," She tells him. "Not all the dogs like loud noises."

Alex quietens immediately, nodding. Magnus reaches forward, but he doesn't know why. He grabs Alex's hand, who accepts it and squeezes in anticipation. 

"Oh-" Alex breathes out. "Magnus, look at them."

"I can see them," Magnus says, sounding as if he's trying not to sneeze. 

"Are you okay?" Alex asks. Without even waiting for an answer, he bends down to one of the dogs enclosures. 

"I'm fine," Magnus says. 

"Oh, look at-" Alex takes a moment to check the animal's gender on the board. "Her. She's so cute!"

"She i-i-i- Achoo!" Magnus sneezes. Loudly. 

"Chase," Alex says. "Are you allergic to dogs?"

Magnus sniffs. "No." He sneezes again. "Maybe."

“Why the hell didn’t you say something?!”

Magnus shrugs. “You were just so excited to see them.”

“You,” Alex tells him. “Are an idiot.”

“Cats now?” Magnus says, sheepishly. 

“Come on.”

—————

Magnus won’t admit it, but he did almost cry when he first saw the cats. And when he read their little descriptions. 

“Oh,” he breathes, “Oh, Alex, look.”

“Hm? What?” Alex wanders over from where he was staring at the oldest cat there. 

“Read this description,” Magnus tells him. “And tell me it isn’t the perfect cat for us.”

Rosie hasn’t been with us for long, the sign read, but she was found on the streets, covered in bumps and scratches and infected cuts. Half her fur was missing, and she was severely underweight. Vets have guessed her age to be about a year and six months.  
\- Comfortable around young children? Yes.  
\- Comfortable around other pets? Yes.  
\- Comfortable inside and outside? No. Please keep Rosie inside whenever possible.  
Help this cat find her forever home by talking to one of our workers to find out more about her and meet her! We’ll set you up with a carry case, a bed, a food bowl and water bowl and one toy for $30 extra. 

Magnus’s eyes were filling with tears again. “Alex? Please, come on, its perfect. She’s perfect.”

Alex glances at Magnus. He smiles. “Alright.” He hands Magnus a wad of cash, discreetly. “Pick her a bed, yeah? I’m finding a dog.”

He’s already gone before Magnus blink, the door swishing shut behind him. 

Magnus shakes his head and walks up to the worker playing with another cat. “Um, excuse  
me?”

“Oh- Hello, dearie!” The women says. “Whats up?”

“Um, could I maybe meet a cat?” Magnus asks. 

“Of course, are you thinking of adopting?”

“Yeah. And, um, we’ve had our eye on Rosie,” Magnus says. 

“We?” 

“Oh, me and my.. boyfriend.” Wow. That felt weird. Boyfriend. Girlfriend. Woah. 

“Shouldn’t he be here to meet her too?” The worker, Val, asks. 

“Oh, right. He’ll be here soon. He’s looking at the dogs, but I’m a bit allergic so.”

“Why are you looking for a dog if you’re allergic?” Val says, opening the cage door. 

“He really wants one. Besides, I’m not that allergic. We’ll figure it out,” Magnus says. 

Val lifts Rosie out. “So, this is our Rosie-Posie.”

Magnus’s eyes go wide. “Can I-?” He holds out his hands. 

“Of course,” Val says, handing the cat over and smiling when Magnus starts stroking her. Se takes a while to settle in his arms, and sniffs him a bit, before relaxing and rubbing his chin with her head. “She likes you already,” Val remarks. 

“She’s perfect.”

“That’s what we like to hear,” Val says. “There are a few expectations of the home she’s going to. We just need to know if you have any other pets or kids and whether you’re ready for a lifetime commitment.”

“Unless Alex chooses a dog, there won’t be other pets. But there are going to be a lot of kids,” Magnus says, “Um. Me and him have both had experiences with homelessness, so when my uncle passed and I inherited his mansion, we opened it as a Not-A-Shelter-Shelter-For-Homeless-Kids. There’s gonna be kids and teens coming in and out a lot. But thats also why I wanted to get Rosie. I figured if we get a pet thats been homeless too, it might help some of the kids too.”

“Oh, honey, thats lovely! Do you have any accessories picked out yet?”

“Not yet,” Magnus says, “No.”

“We can supply you with some. And I hope your boyfriend can drive, because it looks like she isn’t letting you go,” Val says. 

“Who’s boyfriend?” Alex says, slipping back in and grinning from ear to ear. “Oh, Magnus guess what! I found the perfect dog, he’s so precious and beautiful and I think he’s the perfect size for us and the kids, and I already spoke to someone about adopting him and they’re going to come back in five minutes once I’ve convinced you.”

“Alex,” Magnus says, turning around. “Look!” Rosie purrs extra loudly for effect. 

“Oh, my God,” Alex say. 

“Can we get her?” Magnus asks. “Please?”

“As long as I can get Benny,” Alex says. 

“Of course you can, whatever,” Magnus says, scratching behind Rosie’s ears. “Val’s going to help me pick her a bed and carry case and stuff. Go do your dog stuff, I have things to do.”

“Don’t you want to see him?” Alex says. 

“Oh, right. Yes! Be right back, Val,” Magnus hands her Rosie and rushes off with Alex. Val chuckles and strokes the cat. 

“Looks like you’re about to have some very doting fathers, Rosie,” She tells the cat. 

—————

“Magnus,” Alex says. “Look!” 

Theres a cocker spaniel sitting patiently in his cage. He’s black, and has really fluffy ears and legs. 

“Look, he has trousers, too! He’s perfect, isn’t he?”

Magnus sneezes and nods. 

“Yes, he is.”

Alex kisses Magnus’s cheek. “So we can get him?”

Magnus flushes and agrees before he knows what he’s saying. “Of course. Can I go back to my cat now?”

Alex laughs and nods. “Go sort out your cat bowls. I’ll get Benny a bed.”

Magnus grins and runs back to the cat housing. 

—————

“Hey, Val! How’s my little girl?”

“You’ve been gone for all of five minutes,” Val says, laughing, “And she missed you for each one,” she tells him, handing over the cat. “So, whats the verdict?”

“How much is it?”

Val laughs again. “If you’re going to buy the accessory pack, the total comes to about $180.”

“Woah.”

“Its worth it, though, isn’t it?” Val says, tickling Rosie under her chin. 

“Definitely,” Magnus agrees. “Can I see the beds?”

Val nods. “You’ll have to leave her here for now,” she says, and gestures for Magnus to put her back in the cage. “We’ll put a reserved sign on,” She scribbles a ‘Reserved’ on the cage window. “And then no one else will get her.”

“Awesome. To the beds!”

“To the beds!”

—————

“So,” Val says. “For a cat that size, you’ll want just a standard bed. You can get all of our stereo typically pink gendered products, or a pattern.”

“Alex would literally murder me if I get a ‘pink for girls’ one,” Magnus says. 

“What about this one?” Val says, pointing to a blue bed with little red roses on it. 

Magnus grins. “It matches her name.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Yes.”

Val picks it up. “Now, for food and water bowls, you can either get separate ones or together ones.”

“I think I prefer separate ones,” Magnus says. “Can we just get maybe, plain white? Or silver.”

Val nods. “Standard size, plain silver metal.”

“Perfect.”

“Are you going to need a container for her food?”

“What the hell, go for it,” Magnus says. “Gotta get it perfect.”

“Alright, we have this one that matches the bowls,” Val says. “Or-“

“I like the white one.”

“Of course,” Val says, adding it to her pile. “Do you want to pick a toy?”

“Sure,” Magnus says and takes no time picking out a little felt mouse in bright, primary colours. 

“All set?” Val asks, ringing up their items on the till. 

“Yes! When can I take her home?” Magnus asks. 

“Soon, soon,” Val says. “Here, take the carry case and we can get her.”

Magnus grins and happily holds it. 

“First, its gonna be $185, if thats okay.”

“Thats.. fine,” Magnus says, handing over some of the money. 

Val smiles and puts it in the till. “Lets go get your cat!”

—————

Magnus exits the shelter grinning happily. He’s holding the cat carrier in both hands, knuckles white with how tightly he’s holding it. 

Alex is waiting outside, smiling just as wide, holding the dog, Benny, on a leash. 

“Magnus! Hey!”

“Ready to go?” Magnus says. 

“Yep,” Alex says. “I’m so happy.”

They get in the car, putting the carrier and the dog in the backseat. 

“Me too.”

“Magnus?” 

Magnus turns to look at Alex, who smiles and leans in to kiss him softly. 

It doesn’t last five seconds, but Magnus is just as flustered as normal. “Lets- lets go home,” he stutters out. 

“Lets.”

**Author's Note:**

> hoping u loved it! we love val. 
> 
> funfact benny and rosie are based off of my irl pets bc i have no imagination. and val isnt based off anyone we just love her. 
> 
> so benny is based off of my cocker spaniel puppy called ellie!! she has fluffy ears and legs just like benny bless her. 
> 
> rosie is based off my cat rosie. lol. i dont actually describe in this i dont think.. but both rosies are tabby cats, with white patches on their paws, under their chins and the tips of their tails. my rosie wasn’t homeless or anything tho. 
> 
> also the reason my typing is so shitty in the notes and stuff is bc i have generally finished a big work (think this is my longest fic yet??) and so im tired also its 2:30am. so my typing just goes downhill ang i make typos and use abbreviations. anyway
> 
> tune in next time!!
> 
> check out my [tumblr](https://spideysstark.tumblr.com)


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